Dies are used to manufacture and create a wide variety of parts and components, such as those parts and components which are used within a vehicle. Typically these dies include a cavity which receives relatively hot or molten material. As the material cools within the die, the material is solidified and is formed into the shape of the die cavity which generally conforms to the shape of the desired part or component which is to be produced. The solidified part or component is then removed from the die and may be used within an assembly, such as a vehicle.
The continuous and cyclic heating and cooling of these dies causes structural fatigue and other structural degradation, requiring these dies to be relatively frequently replaced. Since these dies are relatively expensive, such frequent replacement is relatively costly. Such frequent die replacement also undesirably interrupts the overall manufacturing process, thereby further increasing overall replacement cost.
It is therefore highly desirable to produce and utilize dies having respective “operating lives” which are relatively long (i.e., which may be used for a relatively long period of time without experiencing structural fatigue or degradation) and to have a method to determine whether a die has certain characteristics or attributes which provides for a relatively long “operating life” for that die. It is further and highly desirable to provide a test which enables a user of dies to determine whether a die has these certain characteristics and attributes before it is employed by the user in the production of parts or components.